Strategy: Are we there yet?

A colleague of mine recently shared this great piece by Roger Martin:

https://rogermartin.medium.com/finishing-strategy-fdc1409a0640

As someone who obsesses about having a strategy, or at the very least, constantly asks the questions of 'why are we doing this' and 'what are we trying to achieve', it left me quite rightly challenging the idea that for any strategy I have developed, for all it's good intentions, is it actually doable?

The piece is worth 8 minutes of your time, but the TL:DR take for marketing leaders is fairly simple - simply creating a great strategy isn't enough to guarantee success.

In fact, many strategies fail because they lack a clear plan for execution. That's why it's critical to focus on actually "finishing" your strategy - it needs to be designed to be executable from the start with a realistic roadmap that outlines the specific actions needed to achieve your goals on the way to the finish line'.

Importantly, you also need to ensure that your team is aligned around the strategy (not just lip service), has the necessary resources and support, and understands their roles in executing the plan. And that's where adaptability comes in. You need to be willing to adjust your approach as needed based on changing circumstances, and to continuously learn and improve your strategy based on feedback and results.

By taking a structured, adaptable approach to execution, you can dramatically increase your chances of success and drive real business results. So don't just create a great strategy - finish it!